Ranma the Patryn
by Wanderer D
Summary: Shortly after the Cat Fist training, Ranma's sent to the Labyrinth. What is the purpose of having Ranma there? The Wave struggles to correct itself as Ranma does the same to survive.
1. RP01

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Chapter 1 - Prologue  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma, nor I intend to make any money out of this.  
(as if I could). Death's Gate Cycle is the property of Margaret Weis and  
Tracy Hickman, may they forgive me for doing this.  
  
Into the Labyrinth  
by Wanderer D (wanderer@hotmail.com)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Possibilities. Everything's made of possibilities, and as the Wave  
tries to correct itself, it creates more and more of these. Thus, after  
the Last Gate was closed, there existed the possibility that it could  
be opened.  
  
And that someone, perhaps a higher power, with the know-how would be  
able to take a peek at the doings of those who would've considered  
themselves gods in another time. The same 'demigods' who had discovered  
mortality, and who had been trapped in a world created by some of them,  
a world that was hostile, relentless, and utterly evil.  
  
The Labyrinth; a prison. Created Eons ago by the Sartan to imprison  
their equals, the only other opposing force that existed when the world  
was one; the Patryns.  
  
Loners, without trust, the Patryns had been easy victims despite their  
power.  
  
Since they wouldn't trust each other even in the face of a common  
enemy, they fell one by one to the hands of the Sartan, who, in their  
imagined justice, sent them to a 'Correction House': the Labyrinth.  
  
It was supposed to be a test. A difficult one, that would teach the  
Patryns how to live peacefully.  
  
Humbled, they would come out of this test and live in a beautiful city  
built by their enemies; the Nexus, where they would live under the  
watchful eye of the Sartan.  
  
However, when the Sartan created this world, they did so in fear and  
hatred for their enemies. And even as it was created with the best  
intentions, the hidden anger of the Sartan seeped through the Runes  
guarding it and gave it malevolent life.  
  
Now, Eons after it's creation, the Sartan and Patryns are all trapped  
inside, by the power of two of them: Haplo the Patryn and Alfred the  
Sartan, who knew that should any of the races escape, they would free  
the evil of the Dragon-Snakes once again on the four worlds created  
after the Sundering.  
  
It is the time of hope.  
  
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Patryn Leader, Vasu and the new  
Leader of the Council of Seven, Balthazar, Sartan and Patryns share a  
common role: Survival. And thanks to these two leaders, Sartan and  
Patryn will fight together.  
  
And hopefully, learn to live together.  
  
Into this chaos peeked two representatives of this 'higher power'.  
Unseen by the people and creatures of this world, they contemplated the  
seemingly futile efforts of the Sartan and Patryns to save those who  
were still deep inside the Labyrinth, and still try to defend themselves  
against the forces of the Dragons-snakes.  
  
"Some would say that they got what they were looking for," Urd  
muttered.  
  
Her companion nodded. "Yet, it is ironic how bitter enemies should  
try to make the best of what they have. It would do to help them a  
little. The Serpents will get stronger each day, feeding of the fear  
of those still trapped inside... and the desperation of those outside,  
who can hear them cry out in the night."  
  
Urd glanced at Belldandy. "And the Dragons of Pryan?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head. "Hope will fade slowly from the Labyrinth, and  
the dragons will weaken."  
  
Urd gazed through the possibilities of the Wave. This was not their  
universe, but Kami-sama had sent them here for a reason. Urd noticed  
that it was within the realm of possibility to do something about it.  
  
She called her sister's attention to it. Belldandy nodded, seemingly  
having thought of the same thing.  
  
***  
  
Genma sat over the metal plate he used to cover the pit. He flinched  
ever so slightly when one of Ranma's screams was particularly high  
pitched even muffled by the plate, those bothered him a lot. Other  
than those, he was able to block out the moans, screams, groans,  
meows, hisses and the sound of hundreds of pointed claws scratching  
the walls of the pit and the flesh of his son.  
  
The martial artist had decided that this third time would be the last.  
If his ungrateful son could not learn the technique, then to hell with  
the boy. He couldn't stand any more of this. The sausages and fish had  
not been cheap. And his unskilled heir had the temerity to actually  
ignore the training giving a group of starving animals a scratch-pole  
and free food.  
  
Pathetic.  
  
Genma then noticed that the mewing and screams had stopped. Carefully,  
he stood up and stretched, looking up at the moon. Seemingly, it had  
taken a couple of hours for it to finish. He started to lift the plate  
when it flew up suddenly, followed by a small shadow.  
  
Genma stared as his son landed on all fours, covered in blood and  
scratches.  
  
"S-son... you've done it! You've learnt the Cat Fist!"  
  
Ranma's only response was a hiss as he jumped towards Genma, hands  
emulating claws.  
  
Genma's screams woke up more than one neighbor, and when they arrived,  
Genma was unconscious, covered in deep gashes. Of Ranma, there was no  
sign.  
  
***  
  
Neko-Ranma ran on all fours towards the forest. His instincts told  
him to flee the men and women with the light, as they would probably  
hurt him too.  
  
His awakening to pain, and the subsequent battle had left him confused.  
  
He noticed a cave, near the base of the mountain next to the forest.  
  
He didn't stop to think that he hadn't seen that cave before... he just  
wanted out! Neko-Ranma ran into the cave that sometimes seemed too far,  
and sometimes as close as a short leap away.  
  
Finally, when Neko-Ranma felt that it wasn't worth the effort, he found  
himself entering the cavern... and then he wasn't in one any more.  
  
***  
  
Belldandy and Urd watched Ranma cross, unknowingly, Death's Gate.  
  
"It's done." Urd muttered. "Now this world's Ranma will have a chance  
to a different life."  
  
Belldandy smiled half-heartedly. "Let's just hope he survives."  
  
Together, both sisters turned around and faded away.  
  
***  
  
This had been an eventful day in the life of Rue. Ten years ago,  
she had been left behind with a group of Squatters, Patryns who lived  
in groups, unlike her parents, who had been Runners.  
  
Rue hadn't blamed them for leaving her behind. At such a young age she  
would've become a nuisance to them, getting them in unnecessary danger  
and possibly getting all of them killed.  
  
However, this morning, she and the nomad tribe she was traveling with,  
had been attacked by Tiger-men.  
  
The fearful creatures, stronger physically than most Patryn had  
attacked in a large group, just when they were close to the Last Gate!  
All of a sudden, a large, dragon with golden-green and golden-blue  
scales, had swooped down, low enough for a group of Patryns to jump off  
it's back.  
  
Together, their own warriors and these Patryns had fought off the Tiger  
men, which the Dragon attacked with its fire when they had gone far  
enough.  
  
Then, another surprise, not all of these Patryns were Patryns at all!  
  
Some were Sartan! The ancient enemy!  
  
The leader of the group was a Patryn, however, and he approached the  
headman to talk with him. Rue was close enough to hear some of the  
conversation and ran off to tell the others that they were to be  
escorted out of the Labyrinth.  
  
Finally, the last surprise. The headman called Rue back to where he  
and the stranger were talking.  
  
"This is Rue, Haplo." he said to the tall man.  
  
Haplo knelt down in front of her, looking up to meet her eyes. Rue was  
ten gates old. Haplo looked up at the headman, who nodded.  
  
"My name is Haplo, Rue." He said.  
  
Rue couldn't believe it. This man, a warrior, a runner and leader of  
a group that could control both Dragons and Sartan was crying! He  
touched the side of her head and moved her chestnut colored hair to  
the side, so he could see her eyes clearly.  
  
"You have your mother's eyes..." He said, smiling.  
  
Rue stared. She knew that smile. A quiet smile. She had seen it for  
a long time, whenever she reached a river, or whenever she looked  
at herself in a mirror. It was her smile.  
  
Then, the impact of what he had just said struck. "You... know my  
mother?" Rue asked, eyes wide. "My real mother?"  
  
Haplo nodded. "And I also know your father." He smiled more fully.  
"Quite well, I should add."  
  
Rue jumped into his arms, as he cradled her. "I'm sorry Rue... I  
should have brought you with me... I should've never left you alone..."  
  
Rue sniffed. Then turned around, ashamed that her own father would see  
her crying. She then noticed one of the Sartan walking up towards them.  
She put up a brave face, tried to show the enmity to the Sartan she  
had been taught.  
  
Then, the Sartan, a balding man, stumbled and fell to the ground with  
a 'whoop'. She stared. This... this couldn't be one of the enemies,  
the fearful Sartan that had imprisoned them...  
  
"Alfred..." She hear Haplo sigh, and saw him stand up and help the  
Sartan up.  
  
She stared as Haplo, her father, guide Alfred towards her. "Alfred, I  
want you to meet Rue. My daughter."  
  
Alfred stared at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted two heads.  
"You mean..." he asked, turning to face Haplo.  
  
The later nodded.  
  
"Then..." he knelt in front of Rue staring at her. "All those times...  
all those times you went back into this place... the Labyrinth to  
search for her..."  
  
Rue was thinking fast. Was this true... had her father conquered the  
Labyrinth once, only to come back later to search for her?  
  
"But... how can you be sure it's her?" Alfred asked suddenly. Rue's  
stomach grew cold.  
  
"It is her, Alfred. The headman recognized me, he remembered Merit...  
and... look at her, Alfred..."  
  
The Sartan turned to look more closely at her. She tried a small smile.  
  
"It is her!" Alfred said, awed. She could see the happiness burning in  
this Sartan's eyes, happiness for her, and for her parents. She already  
liked him.  
  
A signal was given. Apparently everyone was ready to leave. As they  
walked forth, the Dragon circled above to protect them. And after a  
couple of hours they had reached the Final Gate.  
  
The Final Gate was the most dangerous part of the Labyrinth. At the far  
end, one could clearly see the exit to the Nexus, but the way was  
nothing more than plains. It offered no cover whatsoever, and it was  
full of horrible creatures. Griffin, Wolfen... whatever the Labyrinth  
would want to throw to those who would escape it.  
  
The caravan slowed it's pace. Although Rue could tell everyone in her  
tribe wanted to rush down to the end. But Haplo stopped them. The Patryns  
and Sartan that had come with him stopped them.  
  
To give in to a wild rush would only result in their deaths.  
  
As they walked, Rue noticed something. A Chaodyn. Only one. Alone, it  
wouldn't attack. Suddenly, there were two Chaodyn.  
  
She had never fought the ugly insect-like creatures. But she knew how  
to fight them. The Chaodyn's exo-skeleton was very hard to penetrate,  
however, if you hurt it, you would not be fighting one, but two, then  
four, then eight if you continued fighting. The only way to kill a  
Chaodyn is to hit it in the heart. Kill it before it knows it's dead.  
  
She looked as yet another Chaodyn appeared. Scared, she grabbed hold of  
Haplo.  
  
He looked at where she pointed, and his eyes grew wide. Quickly calling  
a halt, he and the rest of the warriors ran towards the Chaodyn.  
  
With spells they trapped most of the creatures, finished first with  
those that were still free, then with the ones trapped.  
  
Nobody questioned if it was right or wrong to kill a trapped and  
defenseless enemy. In the Labyrinth, you either killed or were killed.  
  
Haplo returned, holding a child of about her age. He was unconscious,  
covered in scratches and blood. But he was alive. It was incredible  
that someone so young had caused a group of Chaodyn so much trouble.  
  
She kept watch over him, noticing the lack of tattoos. A shout distracted  
her, and she looked up.  
  
Then, she forgot all about him.   
  
They had reached the Nexus.  
  
She was out of the Labyrinth.  
  
***  
  
The entrance to the Nexus was heavily guarded by Patryns, Sartan and  
Dragons.  
  
Rue watched, amazed how everyone seemed to be living in apparent  
harmony. Living in the Labyrinth had taught her to be observant, and  
she noticed that despite everything, Sartan kept to Sartan, and  
Patryns with their own.  
  
"How sad," she thought. "that even now, after achieving all of this,  
they still can't stand each other." She risked a glance at her father  
and Alfred, who were together trying to re-animate the boy.  
  
Word spread fast, and soon the leaders of both races came running.  
  
Rue was surprised to notice that, unlike the custom inside the  
Labyrinth, the Patryn leader, a man named Vasu, was obviously not the  
strongest fighter.  
  
He was not lean and muscular, he was... rounded... soft looking. The  
leader of her own tribe looked at him doubtfully, but, following custom,  
talked deferentially to those who would admit them into their midst.  
  
Rue waited with the others until both, Vasu and Balthazar had welcomed  
their tribe, then ran to join Haplo and Alfred.  
  
She stood by them as they discussed what to do.  
  
"... you sure?" Alfred was asking her father.  
  
"Yes... definitely. Although I don't know why his parents didn't tattoo  
his name at least." Haplo answered, looking at Ranma's bare skin.  
  
"Maybe... maybe his parents were killed before they were able to name  
him." Alfred noted.  
  
The boy coughed and started to twist. Both, the Patryn and the Sartan  
gave him room to stand. Rue peeked closer.  
  
Haplo, noticing her, wrapped his arm protectively, check that, lovingly  
over her shoulders.  
  
The boy finally sat up, and looked around confused.  
  
Alfred sat in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Ranma." the boy answered, still looking around in awe.  
  
Rue felt a twinge of envy. This boy, of her own age had managed to get  
to the Last Gate, and had fought off Chaodyn long enough to be rescued.  
  
And her? she had traveled protected, in comparison, all her life.  
  
***  
  
Ranma looked around the place. All over, people with Tattoos covering  
their bodies, except for the head and undersides of the hands, or the  
other robe covered men and women were talking, mounting guard or  
moving around.  
  
The walls next to him were covered in shining drawings that glowed red  
and blue.  
  
Above him, he could make out giant lizards covered in glistening  
scales. He was so entranced by the sights that he ignored the bald  
man's next question. Finally, he looked back at the two men and the  
young girl that were next to him.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I asked how old you were?" the bald man asked again. His way of  
speaking was strange. When he heard him talk, Ranma also saw images  
in his mind.  
  
"I'm ten years old."  
  
Alfred looked startled. Haplo frowned. Ranma hadn't used the  
characteristic term 'gates' in reference to age, he had used the mench  
word 'years'.  
  
"How did you get here?" Haplo asked.  
  
"I..." unknowingly transmitting mental images to the other three, he  
subconsciously revived the cat fist training.  
  
The others were subjected to panic, images of claws and hisses, shouts  
and clawing at the wall, trying to get away.  
  
Haplo grabbed Ranma by the shoulders, and shook him softly. "Don't  
worry, you're at the Nexus now. The Labyrinth can't hurt you."  
  
Ranma's tension relaxed as Haplo worked a sleeping spell on him. Soon,  
Ranma was asleep.  
  
***  
  
Ranma woke up later on, safely tucked inside a bed. A young pale man of  
about twenty eight smiled at him when he opened his eyes.  
  
"Welcome to the land of the living, Ranma." he said.  
  
"Who are you?" the boy asked, taking a look at his host. He was not a  
fighter, obviously, although he had sad eyes that talked about long  
suffering, but something in his smile spoke of having found happiness.  
  
"My name is Jorel." the man answered bowing. "I... we, Usha and I, will  
be your guardians for a while."  
  
"My guardians?!" Ranma asked looking at him in surprise.  
  
"Yes. Something like a surrogate family, if you will." Jorel answered.  
  
"But..." Ranma stopped. While he had been asleep, he had dreamt of a  
tall man, dressed completely in black, who had told him something...  
  
Ranma closed his eyes, trying to remember.  
  
His mind opened and the whiteness returned.  
  
"What is this?!" Ranma had demanded, floating in whiteness.  
  
"This is the realm of dreams, Sir, where some of us live." a voice  
had answered.  
  
Turning around, Ranma had faced a gentleman. Imposing- dressed all in  
black: black breeches black velvet coat, black silk stockings; white  
hair, tied in back with a black ribbon.  
  
"What am I doing here?" Ranma asked. "Am I asleep?"  
  
"Yes," answered the man. He appeared amused. "You are asleep, but this  
is no dream, young sir."  
  
"I have come here to tell you that you are not in your world. You were  
brought here for a reason: the Wave tries to correct itself. Here, you  
will learn the skills you need to learn to survive, and help others.  
  
Someday, you might go back to Earth, for now, take what these people  
are offering. Learn from them. And live."  
  
Try as he might he couldn't remember anything else... other than  
more fragments which he couldn't place in any order at all.  
  
Jorel was waiting patiently.  
  
"I... thank you for taking me in..." Ranma answered, bowing.  
  
Jorel smiled. "The pleasure is all ours. Now, come, Ranma. I will  
introduce you to my wife."  
  
Ranma followed Jorel into the small kitchen, where another young woman,  
covered in tattoos was preparing to fry a skinned rabbit.  
  
Somehow... she didn't really seem the motherly type, while at the  
same time she managed to seem... motherly.  
  
She was slender. She had strong muscles and moved about with the grace  
of a warrior. Her tattoos drew Ranma's immediate attention.  
  
"Why is she tattooed all over?" Ranma asked Jorel, who seemed a little  
surprised at the question.  
  
Usha answered for him, turning around and smiling at Ranma. "This, son,  
are Runes. I will teach you about these, and Jorel will teach you about  
Sartan Runes."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Um..."  
  
"Yes, Ranma?" Usha asked.  
  
"Well, I... I would like to know if you knew someone who was a good  
fighter? I would like to continue training..."  
  
Usha smiled. "I'll train you."  
  
"You?" Ranma appeared dubious. Sure, she looked capable but... she was  
a girl.  
  
"You'll learn," Jorel said, putting his hand on Ranma's shoulder. "that  
Usha is quite a warrior. She's fought in a couple of wars, already!"  
  
Ranma's eyes shined. "Really?" He asked Usha, who nodded back.  
  
"Tell me about it!" Ranma insisted as he helped Jorel prepare the table  
for dinner.  
  
"Well, it all started when a man named Haplo arrived in Abri..." Usha  
started.  
  
***  
  
Outside the window an old man in gray robes, with a battered, pointy hat,  
almost sneezed.  
  
"Well, he's already blending in." He muttered.  
  
"That he is, Sir." The man in black answered.  
  
"You think he might want to join her Majesty's Secret Service?"  
  
"I very much doubt it, Sir." The man answered, taking hold of the older  
man's arm and walking him away.  
  
"But he'd be an excellent agent!"  
  
"Most probably, Sir." The man answered patiently. "Now, we must leave."  
  
"Ah." The old man nodded. "Q must be waiting."  
  
"No sir, I believe you wanted to talk to M."  
  
"Quite right, quite right..."   
  
The old man and the gentleman in black continued talking, until they seemed  
to fade in the darkness of the night.  
  
***  
End Chapter 1  
***  
  
Comments, criticisms, etc, to my email. Try to be constructive. ^_^ 


	2. RP02

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Disclaimer: Death's Gate Cycle is the creation of Margaret Weis and  
Tracy Hickman. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not either  
one of them, so this is not mine. I write about it, yes, but  
I won't get a dime out of this. (I might get stoned by  
DGC fans, but that's it.) Furthermore, Ranma is also not  
of my property. Rather, it falls into the possession of the  
Richest woman in Japan: Rumiko Takahashi. Not me.  
- PEACE!  
  
Chapter 2 - Wild Horses  
by Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The first Rune to be tattooed into a Patryn's skin is the Heart Rune.  
Not only will it be the origin of the next runes, but also the source  
of their power. The Heart-Rune is the real name of the Patryn, and, if  
you have the name, the real name, you can work magic with it.  
  
Upon birth, the first action taken by the Patryn parents, regardless  
of the moment, pain, rush or moment of expectant peace is to inscribe  
this Rune.  
  
Ranma was a special case. He was not a mench -human, elf or dwarf-,  
according to Haplo and those who knew these people. He was a Patryn.  
And yet, he wasn't. He also was a Sartan. And again, he wasn't.  
  
And stranger still... he wasn't a half-breed like Vasu. Ranma was  
an enigma to all. He had potential. Not much, as a full blooded Patryn  
or Sartan would have, but there it was.  
  
"The Wave corrects itself." Vasu declared. The stout man was standing  
in a podium, next to Balthazar, addressing the Patryn and Sartan that  
had decided to gather there.  
  
"And thus, another life has fallen into our hands." The Patryn  
continued. "One who is like us and like a mench. One who offers a  
vision into a possible future."  
  
"Today we will name this child. He will be reborn a Patryn." Balthazar  
announced. "And raised as a Sartan."  
  
Rue glared from where she stood, next to her parents, at Ranma, who  
waited nervously behind Vasu and Balthazar.  
  
She knew she shouldn't be acting like this. After all, it wasn't Ranma's  
fault that HE had lived alone in the Labyrinth and survive. HE hadn't  
had any choice but to fight Snogs, Dragons, Chaodin, Wolfen and the rest  
of the Labyrinth's creatures and traps. It wasn't HIS fault that she  
had lived with a large group of Patryns, who had not only taught her  
how to survive if she went alone, but had also taught her magic. HE  
hadn't had ANY magic at all...  
  
Rue sighed. She could've done well enough too... She then noticed someone  
standing close to her. It was a young boy. He had black hair, a pointed  
nose, like the beak of a Griffon, and he was Sartan.  
  
And he was about her age too! Ten or eleven gates at the most.  
  
He was staring at the two leaders and listening to every word they said.  
  
Thinking this was a good idea, Rue turned around and listened politely,  
gazing back to the only Sartan of that age she had met. Looking about,  
she noted Alfred trying to control his two kids. She smiled at the sight  
and forgot her anger for a moment.  
  
"Come forth, Ranma." Balthazar instructed.  
  
The young boy stepped forward as instructed. He knew there wasn't much to  
fear. Today, he would be tattooed over his heart by his new mother; Usha.  
Ranma forgot for a moment he was standing in front of a large group of  
people and smiled inwardly. He didn't remember much of his real mother,  
having spent most of his life training with Genma.  
  
He snapped back as Vasu addressed him, (and the crowd). "Ranma, take of  
your shirt." He ordered.  
  
Ranma complied. Everyone was surprised at the young boy's physique,  
and some were alarmed at the quantity of wounds he had.  
  
Usha walked up with a small bottle of black ink. Tracing a rune over  
it she proceeded to use a small paintbrush to tattoo the Heart Rune.  
  
Balthazar stepped forward to explain. "Reflecting our hope, that our  
people can become one, Sartan and Patryn living together in peace,  
we have chosen Ranma's name to be the Sartan word: Ixar."  
  
Rue didn't know what that meant. A movement caught her eye and she  
noticed the Sartan boy nodding.  
  
Haplo crouched next to her. "Ixar means 'Peace' in Sartan." He  
whispered to her ear.  
  
A commotion erupted in the back of the crowd.  
  
"Preposterous!" a Sartan shouted. Pushing Patryn and Sartan alike to  
the side, Ramu and two of his followers stepped in front of the podium.  
  
"This..." Ramu sputtered. "This ABERRATION you dared bring here," he  
said pointing accusingly at Alfred and Haplo. "against all logic, you  
have decided to take care of IT and contaminate the pure Sartan blood  
that runs in our veins! Bad enough that we have to share this place  
with Patryn, now we will have MENCH using OUR magic and that of our  
enemies!"  
  
Vasu shared a look with Balthazar, which was noticed by the ever  
observant Rue. Things were not looking good. Already Patryns that  
didn't have much time here were eyeing suspiciously at the Sartans.  
  
Vasu was about to answer when Ranma interrupted.  
  
The small child, his one and only rune glowing lightly over his heart,  
jumped down and stared defiantly at Ramu. Rue had to give it to him,  
she could feel Ramu's power, as she was sure Ranma could, and SHE  
wouldn't have faced of with him.  
  
Of course, she reminded herself bitterly, SHE was not HIM.  
  
"This is enough!" Ranma shouted, letting everyone hear him. "As I've  
been told, the Labyrinth is trying to destroy you all, and when I  
can believe that we can all live in peace and fight it together you  
come here and start a fight! I may not be one of you, but I am a Martial  
Artist, and I have to defend those weaker than myself!" Ranma pointed  
at Jorel. "He told me that you Sartan were supposedly the protectors!  
and all I see-"  
  
Ramu interrupted him. "Do not dare talk back to me, mench, you have  
no right whatsoever. In fact, I will teach you a lesson myse-"  
  
"Father!" The boy Rue had seen shouted, pulling the powerful Sartan's  
cloth with his hands. "Listen to him! Listen to them!" He demanded  
gesturing at Vasu and Balthazar. "Father, this is not the time for  
quarrels!"  
  
"Aghathar!" Ramu roared grabbing his son's arm with all his strength,  
ignoring the youngster's discomfort. "What did I tell you?! I warned  
you about coming here!" Ignoring Haplo's, Marit's, Alfred's, Vasu's and  
Balthazar's amused grins, he pulled his son away, heading to the Sartan  
warship.  
  
***  
  
Ranma stood in the small room with Usha as she drilled him again  
through the runes he would be using later on.  
  
It had been two days since he had received his Heart-Rune, and he was  
starting to get the hang of it.  
  
Still, he would rather be outside training than here learning runes.  
  
Ranma had endeared himself to the Patryn guards. Shortly after being  
named, he had gone to one of the drills they did early in the morning,  
and had joined them through the exercises. He had performed remarkably  
well, even without the Runes that enhanced his strength and stamina,  
the kid had handled himself well enough, and soon had joined them  
every morning since.  
  
"Ranma!" Usha snapped and hit him upside the head. "Trace the Rune  
Structure I just explained to you!"  
  
"Ouch!" Ranma complained, but did as ordered. He didn't resent the  
attitude Usha took while teaching him. The day he had began his  
training she had treated him so. He had overheard Jorel talking to her  
that night, asking her to take it easier.  
  
He had heard her answer. That's the way it was taught, if you didn't  
learn it, you died in the Labyrinth. They had talked more, but Ranma  
had heard enough. He would make her proud.  
  
***  
  
Ranma stared at Rue. He knew her, of course. Haplo had introduced her,  
his wife and Alfred's two kids to him once, when Jorel and Usha had  
taken him to 'socialize' or something.  
  
What he didn't know was what she was doing in the Rescuer/Guard  
training grounds.  
  
"I heard you were coming here to train with the guards in the  
mornings." she said.  
  
Ranma nodded.  
  
"Well, I'll do it too!" She said defiantly.  
  
Ranma smiled. "Great!" he grabbed her hand and ran to the drills,  
where everyone was gathering. "This'll be more fun! Let's see who  
can keep up with the captain!"  
  
Rue glared at him. Already Ranma had four structures tattooed in his  
chest, not nearly as many as she had, but he had been able to pull  
this off! She would prove HIM she was the best.  
  
Everyone gathered up, waiting for the captain to arrive. Mostly  
Patryns, the guard and rescuers did have a certain amount of young  
Sartan, most of which trained with their own, in this group there  
were three. They had shown the others they were as capable in magic  
and fighting as most Patryns (excluding the Runners).  
  
Rue glared at them as she stood in line next to Ranma. Here she  
would have to measure not only to Ranma, but to keep Patryn honor  
high, she would have to do better than them.  
  
Ranma elbowed her. "Here comes the captain, stand ready!"  
  
Rue looked up at the captain and almost fell down from the surprise.  
  
"Rue?" Marit asked. "What are you doing here?"  
  
***  
  
Five hours after training began, Ranma stumbled to the soft grass  
of the Nexus garden and let himself fall to the ground.  
  
Right behind him, his new friend, Rue, dragged herself next to him.  
  
Both were panting and sweating. Marit had not touched her heart just  
because her daughter was a trainee, rather, it seemed to many that  
she made it harder than before.  
  
None of the trainees were Runners. They didn't know what it was like  
to fight every inch of the way, for many gates to reach the end of the  
Labyrinth. Haplo and Marit, arguably two of the stronger Runners had  
almost died and owed their lives to someone much more powerful, who  
had gone into the Labyrinth once and again to save Patryns.  
  
Marit didn't want Rue to die. If she came here to train... she would  
be the best.  
  
"That... was... tough..." Rue groaned, not bothering to look up.  
  
Ranma nodded, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see him. That  
HAD been tough. He was impressed with Rue's skills. He was better, of  
course, but she had been quite impressive.  
  
He then saw something.  
  
"Hey... Rue," he said, shaking her shoulder.  
  
A muffled sound was her answer. Taking that as a 'what', Ranma  
continued. "Who's that kid?"  
  
"What kid?" Rue asked looking up and spitting grass. She followed  
Ranma's line of sight. "That's Aghathar. Ramu's son."  
  
Ranma was again on his feet. "Let's talk to him!" he said, pulling  
Rue's hand.  
  
She hurt everywhere, but she complied. What harm could it do, anyway?  
  
***  
  
10 years later...  
  
Ranma waited, crouched over a branch. He moved a few of the leaves that  
offered him protection, but also didn't allow him to see all too clearly.  
  
He looked down to his right, where Rena waited patiently next to  
Aghathar.  
  
Rena was looking at him, while Aghathar stood watch, ready to cast  
his powerful magic at whatever may approach.  
  
Ranma made a signal with his hand. Pressing his fingers together, he  
let the thumb apart and made biting movements with his impromptu dog,  
then, he spread his left hands fingers and did a small V sign with his  
right hand.  
  
Rena nodded from below. She turned and whispered the message to Aghathar,  
then repeated it to someone to his left.  
  
He couldn't see them, but he knew Rue and Hugh had received the  
information he had provided. Seven Wolfen, coming their way.  
  
Ranma prepared himself. He was the leader of his group of Rescuers,  
despite being the less powerful.  
  
Rena and Hugh, Alfred's daughter and son were very powerful in their  
magic. Although Hugh was more like him... he was a fighter.  
  
Aghathar had inherited his grandfather's latent power. He would be as  
powerful as Samah, the man who had sundered the world.  
  
And Rue... Rue could out magic him in less that it took to blink. Yet,  
none of them could fight like he did.  
  
Ranma smiled. His group was one of the best, and all of them were very  
young. Rue, Aghathar and himself were twenty years old, while Hugh and  
Rena were fifteen. He still remembered the day the two seven-year-olds  
had joined the drills. Marit had almost fainted.  
  
Now, while they were not allowed to act by themselves, they would  
accompany another group of Rescuers as guards and scouts. Right now,  
they were back up to another Rescuer group, and it seemed they had  
prepared their ambush at the right moment.  
  
This group of Wolfen wouldn't do much harm to the large group of  
Patryns but if they found the others, their howls would warn any other  
Wolfen around their location.  
  
As the Alpha of the pack sniffed around, Ranma prepared to jump.  
  
The sudden howl stopped him.  
  
The Wolfen stopped their advance and turned around, looking eastward,  
and answered the call, starting to run there.  
  
Ranma thought quickly. This could mean anything. The Wolfen could've  
found a group of Tiger-men. (Ranma shuddered involuntarily at this) Or  
they could've found another group of Patryns!  
  
Reaching his decision, Ranma jumped down.  
  
"We have to follow them!" He whispered harshly to Aghathar and Rena.  
  
"Ranma, they left! We should warn the others about this!" the Sartan  
argued. Rena nodded.  
  
Rue and Hugh ran towards them. "What are we going to do?" Hugh asked.  
  
"Ranma thinks we should follow them to see what they're up to, Aghathar  
and I think it's best to inform the other Rescuers."  
  
"There's no time!" Rue answered, siding with Ranma. "We might lose them!"  
  
"Good riddance, then!" Aghathar muttered.  
  
Everyone turned to Hugh. The last vote was his. He knew no one would  
think him a coward if he voted to go back. This was no game.  
  
But, there was someone he had to live up to. What would Hugh the Hand,  
his namesake, do?  
  
The teenager thought for barely a second. He would go. An assassin  
doesn't take chances.  
  
"I say we go." Hugh stated.  
  
The others nodded. Rena a little nervously, but Aghathar's hand pressed  
her shoulder. She looked up at the older boy, who nodded encouragingly.  
  
She smiled back and followed Ranma's lead.  
  
***  
  
The Wolfen led them to a small mountain. When they reached the top,  
they all fell on their stomachs, and gazed in horror at the scene  
before them.  
  
A huge trench had been dug into the earth, as the great mass of a  
green dragon of Pryan had crash landed in a small valley, which they  
overlooked.  
  
The dragon had tried to rise and crawl, as evidenced by the trail of  
blood that followed it to where it lay, surrounded by a group of about  
thirty Wolfen carrying spears that jabbed at it cruelly and gloated  
of their victory.  
  
"Ranma!" Rena said desperately, clutching his arm. "We have to save him!"  
  
"Right." Ranma nodded. He stood up and took out a rune-empowered sword.  
Hugh and Rue followed his lead. "Aghathar, you and Rena trap as many  
Wolfen as you can. I fight." he said turning to Hugh and Rue, who opened  
her mouth to argue. "Don't start!" he growled. "We all know you two can  
fight, but I will need your firepower to take care of those that don't  
follow me or fall in our spells."  
  
"You always have all the fun." Hugh muttered. Everyone tried to ignore  
his sigh of relief.  
  
As Ranma was about to charge, Rue grabbed his hand. Spinning him around,  
she brought her lips to his.  
  
Aghathar sighed and looked the other way, stealing a glance at Rena.  
Hugh noticed this and glared at the other Sartan, who flinched, turned  
red and looked another way.  
  
Rue interrupted her kiss as suddenly as she had started it. "Survive and  
there might be more from where that came from." She said as she smacked  
him on the back.  
  
Ranma shook his head to clear it. He then started running towards the  
Wolfen, followed by Rue and Hugh.  
  
As he shouted a challenge to the surprised Wolf-creatures, he could  
hear Rena and Aghathar sing their spells.  
  
The Wolfen growled in defiance, grabbing their weapons and running to  
the challenge.  
  
All sounds disappeared as Ranma avoided the point of a lance. They  
returned momentarily as he grabbed it and drove the sword into and up  
the Wolfen warrior, the only sounds he heard was the splotch of blood  
and the crunching of bones as the magically enhanced weapon practically  
tore his enemy in two.  
  
He barely noticed one of the Wolfen starting its own spell when its  
lance turned into snakes that crawled back and attacked it.  
  
He ignored it, as another burst into flames next to him. A thrown lance  
embedded itself between his feet as he slashed at another enemy.  
  
Jumping to the side, Ranma delivered a swift Axe-kick to another,  
breaking it's neck. A swift turn and yet another enemy felt the edge  
of his sword, this one losing an arm.  
  
To his side, he could make out Hugh, as he created a wall of flames  
between the Wolfen and the dragon. Hugh was facing three.  
  
But, where was Rue? Stopping for a moment, he looked around, and saw  
her. She had used her magic to trap many Wolfen in vines and was  
putting her dagger to good use.  
  
Ranma turned in time to stumble back as something heavy scratched  
his head.  
  
A red wall suddenly blinded his left eye, and he understood.  
  
There were a few places where no runes covered a Patryn's body. The  
undersides of the feet and hands, and most importantly, the head.  
  
The Wolfen, long-time enemies of the Patryn knew this, and had  
attacked him in his weak point.  
  
Ranma ignored the pounding on his head and the aching in his eye,  
and rushed to meet the last Wolfen.  
  
Rage invaded him. He had almost lost his life. This one would pay.  
  
Ranma threw his sword aside. The Wolfen, sensing an easy victory,  
jumped at him.  
  
Rue and the others watched in amazement something they should've  
gotten used to.  
  
Ranma side-stepped the Wolfen, driving his elbow to the beast's  
back. The hadn't reached the ground when Ranma had crashed his fist  
into it's stomach.  
  
The Wolfen's eyes bulged out almost comically as it spit out blood.  
  
Ranma followed with a round-house kick, and had the pleasure of  
feeling and hearing his enemy's ribs crack under the pressure.  
  
The last Wolfen fell. And all was silent but for the ragged breaths  
of the dragon.  
  
***  
  
Rena was the first to reach the dragon's side. She knelt next to it's  
enormous head.  
  
"It's all right," she whispered. "we have taken care of the Wolfen."  
  
"How... how did they manage to hurt you so bad?" Rue asked.  
  
"It..." the dragon gasped. Aghathar looked from the wounds to Ranma  
and shook his head. The dragon would die.  
  
"IT wasn't... Wolfen." The dragon growled painfully. "Dragon... took...  
Patryn and Sartan scouts..."  
  
"What?!" Ranma asked walking closer to the dragon.  
  
"...Ixar..." the dragon said, looking at Ranma, who nodded, frowning.  
"... you have to help... scouts." the dragon continued, and coughed  
blood.  
  
"Don't talk." Rena said softly.  
  
Ranma could swear the dragon smiled slightly. "It's too late for me..."  
he said. "Take your group... and Rescue my comrades..."  
  
The dragon couldn't talk any more. HE just looked at Ranma awaiting  
his answer.  
  
Ranma nodded. "Yes. We'll do it."  
  
Closing his eyes painfully, the dragon died.  
  
***  
End Chapter 2  
***  
  
Well, this is chapter two.  
Next: Chapter 3 - Kara'thrar  
  
As usual, I'm open to all comments and educated suggestions, there's  
my mail up there at the beginning of the chapter. :) Try and be  
constructive.  
-D 


	3. RP03

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Disclaimer: Read the previous chapters. It's there.  
  
Author's rant: Well... it's been a while but I actually got to continue it... I'm sorry for the delay, but projects pop up and go, and as I searched for answers to some personal questions I left most projects unattended. Hopefully, this is the start of a brand new come back, and also hopefully, I've improved. Anyway, I hope you guys like what's coming next...  
  
-WD  
  
Chapter 3 - Kara'thrar By Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The way to the Blood Dragon's lair was easy to find. Ranma and his group just had to follow the trail of golden-green scales left by the Pryan Dragon, and up to the cliffs where the barren land provided a great view of the Dragon's lair.  
  
Blood Dragons were one of the two most fearsome creatures that inhabited the Labyrinth, now sharing the title with the dreaded Dragon-snakes.  
  
They would capture their victims alive, and torture them one by one for days, healing their wounds and keeping the victim conscious until it grew bored and ate them.  
  
No one, Patryn, Sartan, Dragon-snake or any other creature would willingly walk into a Blood Dragon's lair, unless they had a very good reason for it, had a messy, horrible, long death wish, or was extremely stupid.  
  
Ranma's group had a very good reason to go in, although their parents would say they were stupid, and as they sneaked closer to the cave, and could hear the anguished wails of the first victim, they also started believing so.  
  
"Hugh the Hand came out alive from a fight with a Blood Dragon..." Hugh said, trying to cheer up everyone a little.  
  
"Hugh the Hand was immortal back then..." Rue reminded him sharply. "We have to plan this very carefully if we are going to walk out again."  
  
Hugh gulped and nodded, crouching next to his sister.  
  
"We cannot rush in like we do with Wolfen and Tiger-men." Aghathar stated. "We need all our power and perfect timing."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Okay, we'll have to trap it... I just hope his lair is not protected against magic..."  
  
"The place where he keeps the victims probably is, though." Rena added.  
  
They thought for a moment. "We could drop the ceiling on him..." Rue suggested.  
  
They all looked at each other, unsure. Ranma was sweating cold. This was the most dangerous mission they had undertaken, and Rescue groups with far more experience would hesitate to even attempt such a feat.  
  
But he had given his word to the dying dragon.  
  
"Okay, here's what we'll do, Rena and Aghathar, you both will create a spike-trap for the dragon, remember to make it as strong as possible, Hugh, you will use your power to open the cracks enough for the earth to come down on him, Rue and I will break open the prison and help everyone escape, then between all of us, we bring the entrance down so he'll take some time to escape. Understood?"  
  
Everyone nodded and they started out.  
  
*** Rena, Aghathar and Hugh climbed into the cave through one of the many shafts it had. Ranma and Rue took the dangerous path through the entrance.  
  
The dragon's cave smelled of blood and humidity. As Ranma and Rue walked deeper into it, they could hear an echo of a cold, slithering voice they recognized as the dragon's, and the soft whimpering of his victim, followed by a hideous scream.  
  
Ranma felt a sudden cold in his stomach, and Rue's knees buckled. They were unable to move for the duration of the scream. The scream subsided and there were only moans echoing in the cavern.  
  
Shaking all over, Ranma motioned to Rue to follow him. They rounded the corner to the large cavern where the dragon was just as it muttered something and the poor woman it was torturing let out a shrill cry that suddenly died. The body slumped and the dragon approached it.  
  
Its scales were such a dark shade of red it could almost be mistaken for black, its white, sharp claws and fangs made a horrible contrast with it... and its yellow eyes glinted as gems in a dark pool of blood.  
  
It stared at the body nailed to the wall for a few seconds, as if amused by the forms the blood made in the naked body, then, with a feral swipe of his claws it tore the body from the wall.  
  
He turned and leered at something behind him, and Ranma, risking a look was able to see the group of Patryn and Sartan that were prisoners in a cage surrounded by symbols of the dragon's power.  
  
Ranma searched the ceiling with his eyes and finally saw a little movement from one of the shafts that slid into the cavern. He frowned. The ceiling was almost in perfect shape! It would be too hard to manipulate the possibilities without the dragon noticing.  
  
He signalled Rue to turn around ahead and walk back. She didn't like it, but followed orders. She slowly made her way back to the entrance, and turned around. "What now, Ix... ar?"  
  
He wasn't there.  
  
***  
  
It was time to decide the next victim. The female had been amusing. She had resisted more pain than the other two males. But now, he was going to try with one of the Sartan he had captured.  
  
"Whom should I pick now?" he said in a playful tone. He smiled and had the pleasure of seeing them tremble before him. What could they do without their magic? Nothing...  
  
He was about to open the gate when he felt magic energies being used. He turned and found a young Patryn boy seemingly looking lost and bewildered.  
  
***  
  
"What is he doing?!" Hugh asked as he, Rena and Aghathar watched Ranma walk into the dragon's cavern.  
  
As they watched, Ranma gave them the 'thumbs up' and concentrated.  
  
Hugh watched in surprise as a couple of cracks appeared on the ceiling.  
  
The dragon immediately turned around, sensing Patryn magic.  
  
***  
  
The Blood Dragon glared at the Patryn, who shuddered under his scrutiny. "Are you eager enough to die, Patryn, that you would come into my domain?"  
  
"Eh... no?" Ranma answered, smiling sheepishly. "I came here to get them." he said, pointing at the surprised prisoners.  
  
The dragon lowered his head until it was mere inches from Ranma's. "Really... and how do you plan to achieve that?"  
  
Ranma almost took a step back... something that would have gotten him killed in an instant. "No, I came here to challenge you, if I win, they go. If you win..."  
  
The dragon smiled. "Yes?"  
  
"Well, uh..." Ranma began.  
  
"How about I nail you to the wall and make you drink the blood of all the others as I slowly torture and kill them one by one, until your soul is as dark as my scales and you crave for more?" the Dragon offered.  
  
Ranma gulped and the dragon smiled. "I take that as a yes. What is this challenge you want to make?"  
  
"I... we will hit the wall with our fists, three tries each, no magic. Whoever makes the larger hole in the wall wins." Ranma said after a slight hesitation.  
  
The Dragon's eyes glinted. "No magic."  
  
Ranma nodded. "I give you my word if you give me yours. A fair trade." He just wished he felt as sure as he sounded.  
  
The dragon extracted a small -to his size- plate and put it in front of Ranma. "The word of a Blood Dragon is not given alone." He intoned, then with his claw made a small cut in his wrist, letting a drop of blood drip into the plate. "Give some of your blood as well." He ordered.  
  
With a glance at the prisoners, and at the dragon Ranma dared not risk the chance of disobeying. The dragon could kill him at any moment. He took his knife and cut his left forearm, letting some of his blood drip in as well.  
  
"You can heal yourself." The dragon said as he dipped the tip of one claw into the plate and muttered something.  
  
Ranma didn't say a word as he healed his arm and watched carefully as the blood in the plate bubbled and shone slightly.  
  
When the dragon removed his claw the blood returned to normal.  
  
"Now, we will both take a sip of this." The dragon said, then, looking at Ranma's wary expression he added; "This is no poison... a Dragon's name is sacred and if we are to give our word... it will be with our true names. AS part of this ritual, I will never reveal your name while you live, without your permission, and the same goes for you. You will never reveal mine."  
  
Ranma didn't miss the 'while you live' clause, but it was all surreal. Why hadn't the dragon killed him? He was as sadistic as the next Blood Dragon... "Why are you doing all of this?" Ranma asked, picking up the plate.  
  
The dragon smiled and motioned for Ranma to drink. "Only drink half, the other is mine." He waited until the Patryn had followed orders, then lifting the plate he answered before drinking. "You have more guts than all those idiots put together." he motioned at the cowering prisoners with the tip of his tail and drank.  
  
Kara'thrar. That was the name of the Blood Dragon. Ranma knew it at the moment the dragon drank the mixture. And he knew just as well that the Dragon knew his real name. The dragon had another name too...  
  
"On my word, Ambereye. No magic." Ranma intoned.  
  
The dragon smiled. "On my word, Ixar. No magic." he answered.  
  
"Just... let me stretch before we begin." Ranma muttered as they faced the wall.  
  
He stretched, cracked his knuckles and nodded at the dragon.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe it..." Rena whispered. "He's either braver than even Haplo, or incredibly stupid."  
  
They could see Ranma below them, negotiating a challenge with the dragon.  
  
Hugh watched warily as the dragon and Ranma drank their blood and muttered some words in a language he didn't recognize.  
  
"Stupid. Definitely." he said as the two below turned to face the wall. "Maybe we should-"  
  
"Hush!" Aghathar said suddenly. "Pay attention to Ixar."  
  
"He's stretching!" Hugh said, annoyed.  
  
"No..." Rena said as her eyes opened wider. "It's the hand signals..."  
  
"Be ready." Aghathar said, translating the signals. "It seems Ixar did have a plan, after all."  
  
***  
  
"Anyway," Ranma said, feeling oddly calm. "Your wall, you start."  
  
Kara'thrar tapped the wall with his fist, creating a hole the size of Ranma's head with one of his knuckles.  
  
Ranma nodded and pulled his fist back. He concentrated and pummelled the wall.  
  
The dragon watched amazed as Ranma made a hole roughly the size of a human body. Taking the boy more seriously, he punched the wall with more force, shaking the cave slightly.  
  
Above him one of the cracks Ranma had made with his magic cracked open, letting down a little dirt, and calling Aghathar's attention.  
  
Ranma breathed deeply, stepping a little away from the wall, then, with a jump he twisted in the air adding the force of the momentum to his punch, creating a hole the same size of Kara'thrar's.  
  
More cracks appeared as the cavern shook.  
  
The Dragon's eyes glinted and Ranma almost ran away. He knew he shouldn't feel calm. The dragon might kill him in any second.  
  
With a roar that made Ranma jump, the Dragon slammed his fist to the wall. This time, the cavern did shake in earnest, and some pieces of the ceiling crashed next to the two adversaries.  
  
The result was a crumbling wall and an indent Ranma had no possibility to try to match. Or so the dragon thought.  
  
"Your turn, Ixar." The dragon said with a sneer.  
  
Ranma started concentrating yet again.  
  
Usha had taught him to read, while he grew up, and Ranma had slowly taken an interesting in books about adventures, so he had visited the large library the Sartan had built ages ago for the Patryn.  
  
Among the books he had found, interestingly enough, a few ancient looking training manuals, describing how to harness the power of the soul into a fighting technique.  
  
Ranma had had to use various spells of translation through the years to understand and study those books, but he had been able to do it. And now was the time to use one of the oldest techniques... it had time to master, but he could do it.  
  
Letting out his breath slowly, Ranma opened his eyes, searching. Then he launched forward with a shout, his index slamming against the solid stone.  
  
The wall exploded, bathing him in pieces of stone as most of the wall crumbled into one of the tunnels behind. The cavern shook with more violence than ever before, and pieces of ceiling smashed next to the dragon.  
  
The dragon stared as Ranma stumbled back to stare back at him.  
  
Without a word the Dragon broke the lock to the cell. "OUT!" he roared.  
  
The Patryn and Sartan ran, stumbling out of the cell and into the cave, running as fast as they could.  
  
Kara'thrar glared at Ranma. "You will stay." he growled.  
  
Ranma blinked, feeling a little faint. "But... I won."  
  
"Yes." The dragon said icily. "You did. And they got out. Now you are my guest." He took a step forward when he felt the power of Patryn and Sartan magic.  
  
The ceiling above him collapsed down, the debris and earth covering the dragon, and the pieces of solid rock fell like lances around him, trapping him.  
  
Rue grabbed Ranma and half dragged him, half helped him walk out of the cave, where she gave all the prisoners and their rescue team the order to bring the entrance down.  
  
***  
  
Ranma felt a soft wet cloth being pressed against his forehead. He slowly opened his eyes to meet the worried eyes of his mother, Usha, as she left the cloth there.  
  
"Ixar." She said, stroking his face. "I was so afraid..." she didn't cry. Even now, years after escaping the Labyrinth she still had the hard grip on her feelings she had used to survive.  
  
"I'm alright." Ranma answered, smiling faintly. "What happened to the others?"  
  
"Everyone's fine. Just a few moments after the cavern collapsed, another group that had been sent to search for you and the others picked you up." she said.  
  
"There's something else, isn't there?" Ranma said, sensing her distress. "Where's dad?" he asked.  
  
"He... he went to the council. Ixar, you took some very risky decisions today... and risked the life of many others. And not just anyone... Ixar... your group includes the children of three leaders... Haplo, Alfred and..."  
  
"Ramu." Ranma finished. It was no surprise that the activist leader of the Sartan puritans would find this as prime material to cause trouble. Ranma didn't envy Aghathar one bit. "Then I think I should go..."  
  
Usha nodded. "If you feel okay, Ixar. The leaders of the groups you saved are backing you up, obviously, but... Ramu can be very persuasive especially when it's his son the one involved."  
  
Ranma nodded and stood up slowly, getting his bearings before walking out of his house.  
  
*** End Chapter 3 ***  
  
Next: Lost Worlds  
  
C&C PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEEEEAAAASE! AAAAAAH! Okay, I'm really not that desperate, but R&R is good for the inspiration, you know? I'm interested in knowing where you think I'm taking this. heh. Anyway, if you liked this story you might, just might like my others, so, read them. It's good for ya.  
  
Later! 


	4. RP04

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Disclaimer: Read the previous chapters. It's there.  
  
Author's rant: Well, here's another chapter of Ranma the Patryn! It feels good to be working on this, believe you me! -WD  
  
Chapter 4 - Lost Worlds by Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"So, how is our young man faring?" Urd asked, walking to stand next to Belldandy. They both stared down from where they floated at a huge lake beneath them. As they stared the whole of the lake beneath them glowed and they could see the image of Ranma walking out of his house.  
  
"He's doing well. He has grown in wisdom and knowledge." Belldandy intoned, then smiled sweetly as she turned to look at Urd. "And he's already found love!"  
  
Urd smiled. "Interesting. It will soon be time for him to decide, you know?"  
  
Belldandy's smile faded a little. "I have faith in him, Urd. I think he will make the right choice. And his friends and family will help him."  
  
Urd nodded, then followed her sister as they flew away and the lake slowly returned to normal and the light faded and darkness obscured it from view.  
  
***  
  
Ambereye growled as he sunk his jaws on the long neck of the other Blood Dragon. She gurgled as blood flowed into her throat and started trashing about but the male dragon didn't let go, instead, he racked her wings and back with his claws before stabbing her back, his tail intertwined with hers for a moment in the deathly embrace as her ruby eyes opened wider for just a few seconds before they rolled back.  
  
Her body slumped and Ambereye didn't even blink as he tightened his jaws and snapped her neck. He let go of her then and as soon as her body hit the ground he started eating her.  
  
She had thought he would be weaker after his lair had been brought down, and she had thought he would be easy pray. She had come in the dead of the night, looking for him, and attacking him while he pretended to be asleep.  
  
When she discovered that he was neither asleep nor week she had scrambled away, trying to hide and had unwittingly led him to her own lair. There, he had made his presence known by challenging her and then fought to the death.  
  
Blood Dragons ate each other after combat. Or they did. It was a way of honouring your opponent if it had been worthy. Dragon blood made the scales darker, the blood purer and stronger. It was a rite of purification for Blood Dragons that followed their traditions. Ambereye had no doubt that if he had fallen... she would had left his carcass to decay.  
  
After finishing up his bloody feast, he used his magic to absorb whatever Blood Dragon essence was left. A red mist emerged from the remains of the dragon, and seeped into him. When it was over, there was nothing more than a squeleton left, and all the knowledge that she had was now his to do with as he saw fit.  
  
As he flew into his new lair, he spared a moment of thought to Ranma, the only being that had drank his blood and lived to tell the tale. He had felt the boy's power in his blood, and he was sure his own blood had planted the seed of the Blood Dragon in young Ranma. It was a matter of time before he would be tested.  
  
The dragon snorted. Ranma would fail. No Patryn could survive long after drinking Dragon's Blood. Well, they could, he thought amused. But none had survived long enough to know what would happen with such a powerful bond.  
  
***  
  
"Ixar." Ramu said as soon as Ranma had entered the town hall. "How fortunate you could join us." he glared at Ranma as the young boy took his seat next to his party of Rescuers.  
  
Ranma looked around. The hall was bursting with people. Sartan and Patryn had come to see the trial. All the prisoners that had survived were there, and surprisingly enough, one of the Dragons of Pryan stood behind the council.  
  
The council. Ranma almost flinched as he took in Haplo's and Marit's faces. Alfred was also dead serious, his brooding slim figure silently assessing the young man. Ramu was pure contained fury.  
  
Ranma felt Rue's hand on his shoulder, and he put his own hand over hers drawing strength from her presence. On his left, Hugh and Rena smiled at him sportingly while Aghathar gave him a nod and a smile from his seat among Ramu's group of Sartan.  
  
"Now we shall hear the leader of this particular group of Rescuers." Balthazar intoned from his place in the center of the council.  
  
"Tell us, Ixar," Vasu said as Balthazar sat down. "Why did you decide to go to the Blood Dragon's lair? It is commendable to try and save our fellow Sartan and Patryn, but a member of the council has disputed your right at leadership for risking the lives of your group."  
  
Self consciously, Ranma stood and addressed the council.  
  
"I had no choice in the matter, it was either leave them to their luck or rescuing them, the Dragon of Pryan that came with the group of Rescuers captured asked me to save them, and I gave my word." he then stepped back as Ramu stood up.  
  
"Agreed on that point. That is clear to all present. But why and how were you able to strike a deal with that Blood Dragon? If you had lost your little bet you would have become a prisoner of the creature and guaranteed the death of everyone, including your group!" He glared at Ranma, then continued. "If taking unnecessary risks is going to be your motto you cannot be a leader! If the situation was as dire as it was you should have left the others behind and search for a group of more experienced Rescuers!"  
  
"What?!" Ranma shouted. "That Dragon had already killed three Patryn! He was going to start his experiment with the Sartan! Then he would have killed them all before anyone here went for them! If I didn't strike that deal then they would all have died!"  
  
Ramu's eyes turned to slits as anger built up in him. "There are too many points to discuss, Ixar. You made a pact with a Blood Dragon, you poke in HIS language. Your pact was a BET with almost impossible odds set against you for the lives of everyone there. If you had lost I have no doubt your rag tag group of Rescuers would have died. My son, Haplo's daughter, and Alfred's two kids would have shared your fate."  
  
At that moment Aghathar stood up. "Father! I can't believe what I'm hearing! How is my life or Ixar's or Rue's more important than anyone else's?"  
  
Ramu glared at him, and one of his fellow Sartan put his hand on Aghathar's shoulder, whispering for him to stop. But Aghathar remained standing and staring defiantly.  
  
Rue also spoke up, her eyes straying to her mother. "That's true! Any Rescuer can repeat what our trainers drilled into us! Our lives are important, true, but if we are not willing to risk ourselves to save others then why go into the labyrinth!" Merit, seating on the Council smirked and nodded at her daughter, and Rue stopped talking in surprise.  
  
Hugh took it as his signal to speak. "Ixar couldn't have pulled this off alone! We all agreed to go, he didn't force us, he was just as scared as everyone else! If he hadn't created that distraction, we would have been found!"  
  
Alfred smiled at his son proudly, and his smile became a wider grin when he saw Rena about to speak.  
  
Rena also stood up. "And even without Ixar, our duty would have been to do as much as possible to help them!" She waved her hand at the Patryn and Sartan they had rescued. "The advantage we had over anyone else is that out of all the Rescuer groups we don't use our power to overwhelm, we use it as a team." Her eyes left Alfred's and stopped on Ramu. "Sartan and Patryn, and proud to be together."  
  
"So do not make the mistake of thinking that Ixar is a poor choice for a leader, father." Aghathar said proudly, stepping off from where he was standing and walking in front of everyone to stand by Ranma and the others. "He has the heart, will and courage to lead us. And we follow him because we trust him."  
  
"THAT WILL BE ENOUGH!" Ramu shouted pointing an accusing finger at the group.  
  
"I agree." Haplo stated, making Ramu look at him in confusion, anger forgotten. "We have heard the accounts of everyone present but Ixar's. We have heard his reasons, and heard what his group had to say. I think I have heard enough, Ramu, to make our decision."  
  
Ramu was not happy at being interrupted, but nodded. "Indeed. Ixar is not to be the leader." He said, and sat down.  
  
"I couldn't be more proud of all of them, they are an example to all runners and rescuers." Merit said. "I say Ixar stays."  
  
"I am amazed at how quickly my son and daughter have reached maturity enough to asses the situations they face and learn to live with the consequences of their actions. If indeed Ixar is to blame in part for that... I can only thank him. I say Ixar remains."  
  
"Ixar stays." Haplo said.  
  
Balthazar and Vasu had been talking as the others spoke, and at last Balthazar stood up. He addressed the crowd. "Sartan, Patryn! You have heard what the parents of those involved have said. All save one find no objection to Ixar being the leader of that group. Under normal circumstances all this matter would have been arranged by the Council in private. But the exception was made because the children of the members of the council are directly involved. Rescuers deal with the dangerous mission of going back into the Labyrinth to look for survivors, as we know the Labyrinth is becoming more dangerous by the second. Generations of Patryn are trapped within, along with the descendants of the Sartan that were imprisoned there long ago. The leader of each group has to deal with many things, among them, making sure his group survives. I believe that Ixar has proven that he has these abilities. To survive, to fight, to risk and to save. It is my and Vasu's decision that Ixar remains the leader of this group."  
  
There was some applause and cheers at that, and Vasu stood up. "Even though, it has to be clear that Ixar still is very impetuous, and that he should learn to think things through before risking everything in a bet." he looked at Ranma sternly. "But as Rena also said, they are an example of what we as a community of Patryn and Sartan hope to become. THAT is why this meeting was open to all. That we might learn a little and work together. That will be all."  
  
Ranma slumped back into his seat. "Man, I HATE being used as an example! I feel dirty. Bleh."  
  
Rue smiled and sat next to him as people started walking out. She grabbed his hand. "I know, Ixar, but father and the others always mention us and your parents when there's a discussion of Sartan and Patryn living together. You know that most of the Patryn that arrive by themselves have been feeding their will from hatred of the Sartan."  
  
Ranma nodded as he watched Alfred leave with his son and daughter. He squeezed Rue's hand a little, drawing strength from her. "I just hate it. It makes everything we do look like a race for fame rather than saving the others."  
  
He then noticed the Dragon of Pryan looking at him knowingly. There was something familiar about him, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
Rue stood up and pulled him out of his chair. Ranma gave the dragon one last look before leaving with her.  
  
***  
  
Urd stared at the lake under her as it showed her Ranma and Rue making love. Under normal circumstances she would have rather enjoyed the show and would have silently congratulated Ranma.  
  
But she was not peeking at them out of voyeuristic impulses. She had seen everything that had transpired since Ranma woke up. In fact, she was so deep in thought that she didn't register what they were doing. As a Goddess of Time she knew what was going to happen to HER world. It was another reality altogether, but the results would be the same...  
  
Just then she snapped out of her thoughts as something drifted past her and slowly spiralled to the lake. The images faded as the pointed, grey and much abused hat sent ripples on the water as it alighted there.  
  
"Oh, my." A voice said from the side of the lake. "I seem to have lost my hat."  
  
She turned in the air, and curious, picked up the hat and floated to where she had heard the voice come from.  
  
"Now, where could it be?!" She looked down at a very old man with a long white beard, dressed in a faded grey tunic held in place by a belt full of pouches looked around miserably, stomping around the small area.  
  
She floated down next to him and touched him in the shoulder. "The old man whirled in place and stared at her with huge eyes. "AAAAAAH!"  
  
"WAAAAH!" Urd shouted back in surprised, then, becoming angry with herself and feeling stupid for being scared, she glared at him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
The old man had a hand on his chest and was breathing rapidly. He eyed her warily. "I could ask the same, young girl! What is the idea of scaring your elders like that! You could have given me a heart attack!" He scolded her, waving his walking staff above his head.  
  
Urd sighed. "Sorry. My mistake. Now," She gave him the hat. "I would like to know how you got here, this is a place for g-"  
  
"MY HAT!" the old man shouted in glee, taking it from her hands and putting it on his head, shutting his eyes and pulling down tightly for good measure. The result was that he pulled the brim of the hat over his eyes. "Ack! Struck blind by the gods!" he said in awe.  
  
Urd closed her eyes and started counting to ten. Slowly. The old man walked hesitantly around, hands stretched forth and searching. "Are you there, girl? What is a blind old man going to do without guidance?!"  
  
Urd opened her eyes and glared at him.  
  
"Maybe I should get a dog!" he said, stopping abruptly, as soon as the idea came to his mind. "One of those... Collie dogs? Like... Lassie?!"  
  
"Listen old man," Urd started.  
  
"Lassie! Is that you?! Oh my! I knew you were smart, but I didn't know you could speak! Do you know how to read too?" the old man sighed sadly. "I cannot read now, Lassie, so if you know how to read, then can you do this old man a favor and read aloud my copy of 'You only live twice'?"  
  
"OLD MAN I AM NOT LASSIE!" Urd shouted, plucking his hat from his head.  
  
"I CAN SEE!" the old man shouted, impressed. "It seems I won't be needing you after all, Lassie!" He said happily. "But, here let me give you a Scooby snack... Lassie?" The old man looked around and his shoulders sagged. "She's gone. Oh well..."  
  
"Listen old man, I'm taking you out of here, this is no place for mortals." Urd declared.  
  
"I am not 'Old Man', young lady. I have a name!" the man declared.  
  
"Okay, what is your name then?" Urd asked, making ready to jump him and tie him up so she could drag him out.  
  
"My name is..." the man stopped. "I am... hmm... Bond."  
  
Urd blink-blinked. "Bond?"  
  
"James Bond." the man clarified.  
  
"You are not James Bond!" Urd accused, forgetting her plan.  
  
"Yes I am! I can prove it!" the old man insisted, then started searching on his robes. "Where's that gun Q made for me?" he muttered. When he couldn't find it, he tried another tactic. "Well, I can't find that gun, but you said yourself that I shouldn't be here, right?"  
  
"Yes." Urd answered, nodding.  
  
"Then that proves I'm Bond." the man said triumphantly.  
  
"That doesn't- It's..." Urd sighed. "Okay, Mr. Bond, you have just admitted that you shouldn't be here, so, now that your business is complete, you should leave."  
  
"Oh, no dear, I have business here of the utmost importance!" The old man argued. "Her majesty herself sent me on this errand. I am looking for Urd."  
  
"That-... you're looking for me?"  
  
"No, Urd. What kind of name is 'me' anyway?"  
  
Urd gritted her teeth. "I AM URD!"  
  
The old man blink-blinked then smiled. "Ah! I have finally found you, my dear. Then this is for you." He pulled out an envelope and gave it to her.  
  
Urd took the red envelope and was about to open it when the old man interrupted her. "The message will destroy itself after you've read it." he said helpfully.  
  
Urd nodded absently and ripped the side to take out the letter. As soon as she put her hand on it if flared and only ashes remained.  
  
"..." Urd stared at the ashes.  
  
"Ahem." the old man coughed into his hand, he was clearly embarrassed. "Right. Q told me that might happen. Here." he produced another envelope this one blue. "This one won't blow up or anything, but you will have to get rid of the evidence by yourself."  
  
Urd glared at him then concentrated on opening the envelope. Nothing happened. She took the letter out and read it. Then read it again. "Hey, this is-" she half-shouted, turning around to confront the old man, but there was no-one there.  
  
She gasped and looked around. Nope. No old man. No hat. Nothing. She looked down at the letter.  
  
"Ranma can change that destiny. You just have to dare." she read out loud again. "Signed F. the Magnificent."  
  
"Mr. Bond?" she asked into the dark air, but no-one answered.  
  
*** End Chapter 3 ***  
  
Next: Xar-Drax 


	5. RP05

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Disclaimer: Read the previous chapters. It's there.  
  
Author's rant: Well, here's another chapter of Ranma the Patryn! It feels good to be working on this, believe you me! -WD  
  
Chapter 5 - Xar-Drax by Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ranma dreamt. The air was alight with fire, he could see the other elements in the distance as hurricanes, tidal waves and earthquakes tore the mountains, forests and cities into nothing. The fire around him didn't burn him. He was part of it.  
  
He felt as the pine-needles burnt into ashes as he grazed them. He felt the sensation of being fed as the wood splintered and smoked and burst into flames under his caress.  
  
The world disappeared, and the elements stayed apart, floating in nothing. Then a light called them all and they became a swirl of color: freezing water twirling with burning fire; with biting air and with solid earth. Mixing under the command of that light. Giving themselves into this new world that was being born.  
  
And as fire became sentinent he could see down into a huge jungle that extended beyond his sight. And entering this jungle were creatures. Weak creatures that walked on their hind legs, and had painted their bodies with magic.  
  
Ranma extended his red, ruby-like wings with a roar. There was only one feeling that invaded his senses as he took to the air, a feeling that seeped from the ground, air, water and fire of this very world.  
  
Destroy them!  
  
***  
  
Ranma sat up with a start. He looked around, trying to get his bearings and then noticed the tattooed arm around his waist. Looking around he breathed calmly as he took in the sight of Rue sleeping next to him.  
  
Rue mumbled and opened her eyes, looking up at him and smiling. He smiled back, starting to forget his dream when suddenly he felt his heart beat so strongly that he fell to the side with a cry, hugging his chest in an attempt to control the pain.  
  
"Ixar!" Rue shouted, jumping down from the bed and kneeling next to him as he gritted his teeth and cried out in pain.  
  
***  
  
Ambereye smiled, opening his eyes and looking up into the night sky. He could feel it. Ranma was about to die.  
  
For a moment he regretted the fact that the boy would die. He would have enjoyed fighting him and killing him in combat. Ranma had outsmarted him after all, and he was strong enough to prove a worthy opponent.  
  
All that he had to do was to wait now.  
  
***  
  
"No!" Urd shouted looking down at the lake. "If he dies... my world... his home world will..."  
  
A look of resolve crossed her face, and she fell into the lake. "I will help him. He has much to do yet!" Urd declared as she went through the waters. The lake lit up and she felt a sudden pang of conscience. She hadn't even stopped to think... if the boy's destiny was to die...  
  
***  
  
Rue tried to take Ranma's hands in hers to try to heal him, but her lover's arms were tight around his body as he convulsed. It was unlike anything she had seen. Before her eyes his runes started to glow and unravel, earning another shout of pain.  
  
Rue gritted her teeth. She wanted to call for help, but she couldn't leave him alone! Why hadn't anyone come here, anyway? Surely someone had heard him shout!  
  
She tried again to take his hands.  
  
"That won't work." someone said.  
  
Rue turned around and confronted Urd just as Ranma gasped in pain behind her.  
  
"Who are you?! Did you do this?!" Rue shouted, jumping to the side and taking her knife in hand.  
  
"I didn't do this, and the name isn't important now." Urd said warily. She pointed to the convulsing Ranma. "That is happening because of the Blood Dragon's blood that he drank. It is destroying him because it was meant to destroy Patryns."  
  
Rue lowered her knife a little. "Then what do I do?"  
  
"You do nothing. There's nothing that Patryn or Sartan power can do for him. If he were a Patryn he'd be dead by now. A Sartan wouldn't do much better." Ranma convulsed yet again.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rue asked warily, remembering that she didn't know this person.  
  
"Nothing, really. If you want to know, ask him." Urd said as she looked at the writhing young man. "I think he will survive... but..."  
  
"But?" Rue growled.  
  
Urd sighed. "If you want Ixar to survive you and your friends must give him a little blood. Just a drop each will be enough. Drop each into this vial," she gave a small green crystal flask to Rue. "and make him drink it."  
  
Rue took the vial. "Why should I trust you?" she asked.  
  
Urd looked at the convulsing Ranma. "Because he might die."  
  
Rue nodded but had one last question. "And what's in the vial?"  
  
"Something that will make your blood much more powerful and help him regain control. Otherwise, Ambereye might be able to control Ixar."  
  
Rue shuddered. When she looked up the woman wasn't there.  
  
***  
  
"Are you sure that is wise?" Haplo asked his daughter.  
  
They were all standing around Ranma's bed as he cried out and convulsed. Haplo, Marit, Alfred and his two kids, Usha, Jorel and Aghathar had all given one drop of blood for the vial. Now all that remained to be done was to give it to him. But no-one knew this woman that had appeared. How could they trust her?  
  
"His skin burns to the touch. He calls for water and drinks all he can in one gulp, then asks for more. His tattoos are unravelling. We have no choice." Rue said through gritted teeth. "And if this doesn't work... that woman will have to face my revenge." She promised solemnly. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and looked at Aghathar.  
  
"And mine." The Sartan said, grimly.  
  
"And mine." Rena added.  
  
"And mine." Hugh said.  
  
"And ours." Haplo said for all the others.  
  
Rue forced a smile. She really was grateful, but she hoped they all had sworn for nothing. She held up Ranma's head and poured the liquid from the vial in.  
  
Ranma drank it up greedily and slumped back, suddenly he gritted his teeth and screamed in pain, his muscles tightened and his eyes flared open, staring at nothing.  
  
Rue cried out. "That bitch! She was lying!"  
  
But Merit grabbed her arm. "No... look!" she pointed at the tattoos on Ranma's body as they started to unite again into their proper order. One by one the unravelled runes became legible once again, glowing slightly, after a few tense seconds that seemed like hours Ranma eased back, asleep into the bed. The tattoos slowly stopped glowing the angry red.  
  
"Incredible..." Alfred said, studying the tattoos. "They are all blood-red now."  
  
***  
  
Ambereye was amazed. The kid had survived. His link to him let him know that his opponent was still alive, if nothing else. He smiled to himself. It was good. He would get the chance to kill Ranma after all.  
  
It was then that he noticed the Patryn that had walked into his new lair. He regarded the creature for a moment before speaking.  
  
"You are no Patryn. Who are you? And what do you want?" he growled menacingly.  
  
The 'Patryn' smiled in a very reptilian way. "You are sharp, Ambereye, just as I had heard."  
  
The dragon didn't answer.  
  
"My name is Xar-Drax." The Patryn impersonator said. "And I have an offer for you. A new war, and a new chance to escape the Labyrinth."  
  
Ambereye had already deduced the creature's nature by its impersonation of a Patryn. The runes were backwards, as if he were looking at a Patryn in a mirror. And the name. A mixture of the names of the two most feared masterminds to ever set foot on the worlds.  
  
"And what do I gain from that, besides the obvious?" he asked the Dragon Snake.  
  
"You will lead the Blood Dragons into war. Most of the spoils will be yours. And you will be able to fight the Patryn boy that destroyed your last lair: Ixar. And the best part of all... it will be in the world as it was before the Sundering."  
  
***  
  
Ranma slowly woke up. It was morning, and he was alone. The curtains were closed, but there was enough light coming through for him to know it was late morning.  
  
"Good. You're awake." Someone said.  
  
He looked around the room until he noticed a glowing sphere materializing over him. It turned into a small amulet with something akin to runes on it.  
  
"If you want to know why and how this all happened. Your coming here, you surviving the cat-fist training, and also surviving the Blood Dragon's kin test... use that amulet to guide you there." The voice said. He noticed it was a female voice and somewhat familiar to him.  
  
"How do I use it?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Just say: I want the truth. It will guide you there."  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, but no one answered.  
  
Rue came a few minutes later with breakfast, finding Ranma looking at a strange amulet in his hand. "Ixar? What is that?" she asked.  
  
***  
  
Urd drifted down to the side of the huge lake, settling down on the shore as the images on it disappeared. She had done what she could. She could feel that any more would cause great displeasure from Kami-sama. But it gave her hope.  
  
***  
  
"I'm going." Ranma said.  
  
Rue and the others from his group nodded.  
  
Ranma had received various stares from the people around when he emerged with the dark-red runes. Some had even thought he was an impersonator, but Haplo and Alfred had already told many that it was a result of surviving the poisoning from the Dragon Blood.  
  
So, even as he received stares, he had received small cheers and slaps on the back. Still, he didn't have time to delve on that. So, he had rounded Aghathar, Hugh, Rena and Rue up and told them about the amulet and that they would have to go on without him until he found the truth.  
  
"I can understand how you feel, Ixar." Rue said. "But it is going to be dangerous, you should let us go with you."  
  
Ranma sighed. "Listen guys, I have already thought this over, there's no point in all you going, I mean, this may just lead up to nothing..."  
  
"It doesn't matter, Ixar." Hugh said. "We're a team, we go together."  
  
"Besides, we don't want to face your mother and father and try to explain why we let you go alone." Aghathar said with a smile.  
  
Ranma grinned at them.  
  
***  
  
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaseeee, Mythtril?" Rena asked going all puppy eyed.  
  
The Dragon of Pryan tried not to sigh. She was trying her darnest, but he had seen her battle like a true warrior before and he wasn't buying it. "Listen, Rue, I would be glad to take you guys into a mission, but under no circumstances am I allowed to take you out just like this!"  
  
"Oh, come on, Mythril, we really need to go there." Rue added.  
  
The dragon looked down at the assembled group, as he was about to speak someone interrupted him.  
  
"It is a nice day for an uncharted flight, isn't it?" An old man in a gray robe with a crumpled, over-abused hat said to his companion, an imposing man, dressed all in black: black breeches, black velvet coat, black silk stockings; white hair, tied in back with a black ribbon.  
  
"It is, indeed, Sir." The gentleman answered.  
  
The Dragon snapped his mouth shut.  
  
"I wonder, what does the vast Labyrinth have in store for those brave and adventurous enough to fly in?" the old man said dreamily.  
  
"I imagine quests of certain importance might find closure there, sir." The gentleman said.  
  
"Yes, that is true. Reminds me of what's his name half-elven and his group, of friends." The old man said looking up into the air. "I think if he hadn't given Goldilocks a chance they might have never met me, eh?"  
  
"I think her name was Goldmoon sir, and no, they wouldn't have met you. But I do believe it is time we left sir, you had a meeting to attend." The white haired man said, looking at some device on his left fore arm.  
  
The old man snapped to attention. "Ah, yes, we had to meet Mr. Jones about that Arc thing, didn't we?"  
  
The gentleman took the old man's arm as he guided him out of the Dragon caves. "No sir, Mr. Jones already managed to control that situation."  
  
"Ah, then it must be Mr. Quincy that I was going to meet?" the old man's voice slowly faded.  
  
Mythril didn't hear what the other answered.  
  
"Mythril?" Rue asked again, and the dragon blink-blinked.  
  
"What?" he asked, a little confused.  
  
"You zoned out on us for a moment there." Ranma said.  
  
"Zoned out?" Rue asked. Ranma just smiled sheepishly and shrugged.  
  
"Ah... yes, what were we saying?" the dragon asked.  
  
"You were about to tell us if you were taking us or not?" Hugh prompted.  
  
Mythril sighed. He would get in trouble for this, he just knew it. But then again, his group of Rescuers was always getting into trouble, it was time their dragon lived up to their fame. He gave his consent with a nod.  
  
***  
  
"Oh, here you are, lass." The old man said, as he and the gentleman walked towards Urd.  
  
The latter was looking gloomily at Ranma's group as they jumped on the back of the Dragon of Pryan and started their journey.  
  
"You!" Urd said, jumping up and pointing at him.  
  
Startled, the old man turned around and then faced the gentleman. "She seems to have a problem with you." He said.  
  
"Not him!" Urd growled. "YOU! Mr. Bond!"  
  
The gentleman's eyebrow twitched. He looked at the old man. "Bond?"  
  
The old man stood up straight and nodded. "Quite right, old chap."  
  
"Sir... this young lady deserves to know your real name." the gentleman said.  
  
"You think?" The old man asked, a little embarrassed. "But I like her calling me 'Mr. Bond'"  
  
"Ha! I knew you were not James Bond! What is your real name?" Urd asked, with a gleam in her eye.  
  
"See what you've done?" the old man asked the gentleman, glaring at him.  
  
The man in black didn't answer, just gave him a stern look.  
  
The old man sighed. "Well, my name is... uh..."  
  
Urd pulled out the blue letter. "Here it says that it begins with an 'F' and that you're 'The Magnificent'" she said venomously.  
  
The gentleman looked a little amused as he regarded his aged companion. "'The Magnificent'? Shouldn't that be 'The Fabulous'?"  
  
The old man looked downcast for a moment. "But last week I was 'The Most Amazing'... I really wanted to change that one, you know?"  
  
Urd wasn't paying attention to him though, something had sparked her memory. "The Fabulous... the fabulous..." her eyes opened wide and she pointed an accusing finger at the old man. "FIZBAN!"  
  
The old man whirled around, looking behind him. Hat falling down, eldritch energy glowing on his staff he looked around. "Where?! Where is he! Damn him! He's always following me!"  
  
Urd blinked, a little confused.  
  
"She means you, sir." The gentleman in black clarified.  
  
"Oh..." the old man said. The eldritch energy on his staff puffed out and he turned around to face Urd. "I guess I'm Zifnab, then." Fizban said.  
  
"Fizban." Urd said, arching an eyebrow at the man in black, who nodded back at her, confirming her suspicions.  
  
"Zifnab, Fizban, what's the difference?" The old man said, sounding a little fed up with the whole deal.  
  
"But... but... weren't you... gone?" Urd asked.  
  
Fizban smiled, a little conspiring smile that edged on being manic. "As a visitor once answered when I asked him the same question said: That is a secret!"  
  
Urd sighed. "If you're here it means you're not gone."  
  
"Oh, sure, spoil it for me, will you?" Fizban said, annoyed. "It sounded cool when he said it."  
  
Urd just shook her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here, sir?"  
  
"Don't 'sir' me, young girl." Fizban said, and the crazed look left his eyes. "I came to tell you that you did the right thing. Ranma would have survived, but you have given him the strength of friendship and love to help him survive the trials ahead. Kami-sama is not angry with you. He knows you love the earth."  
  
Urd sighed in relief. And Fizban continued. "However, you are not to continue intervening, the amulet has sped things up, for the good, I hope." When he saw Urd droop a little he smiled gently and patted her shoulder. "I'm sure it will work out fine. Your sisters have each one opportunity for intervening, but of their own free will and as they see fit."  
  
Urd sighed, feelings of gratitude seeping from her heart to the Elder God from a distant universe. "What makes you think it will be alright?" she couldn't help but ask as the two visitors started walking away.  
  
Fizban turned around, with a faraway smile on his face, and the goofy looks back. "I made a bet with Kami-sama and a demon! So it'd better be alright!" He said, pulling his hat back a little to let him see her from under the brim.  
  
The gentleman in black frowned for the first time. "Sir, what had we agreed on betting?"  
  
Fizban cringed a little, but smiled encouragingly to Urd. "That I shouldn't bet the fate of the universe with God." He answered the man in black in a sing-song tone and winked at her from under the brim of the hat.  
  
The two visitors walked away from the coast of the lake, leaving a much relieved Urd behind.  
  
***  
  
"Ixar, we have already passed the Fifth Gate." Mythril informed everyone on his back. "We are well into enemy territory now. You know that patrols stop by the Seventh Gate."  
  
Everyone was nervous about the whole situation. Ranma's amulet pulled them towards the other end of the Labyrinth. At first it felt like a normal mission, except that they hadn't gone past the Sixth Gate before. Ambereye's lair had been partially hidden in the mountains of the Seventh Gate, close to the Sixth, but not in it. And now, they were flying over the Fourth Gate. The farther they were from home the harder it would be to get back, even on a dragon.  
  
Of course the Labyrinth would make it easy for them to get in. Ranma thought gloomily. The scariest thing about the Labyrinth was that it was sentinent. It knew when someone was in it and it would do it's best to stop them from leaving.  
  
"It keeps pulling forward." Ranma said aloud while holding the amulet up and feeling the small tug in the direction of the First Gate. Ranma already feared that it was there that he would find his answer.  
  
Mythril nodded slightly and kept on going. They still had a few hours before night.  
  
It happened when they crossed over the Second Gate. A sudden screech was all the warning they had when a group of Griffons swerved out of the trees below and attacked the Dragon of Pryan.  
  
Mythril swore and let out a huge flame from his open maws managing to burn one Griffon out of the sky. However there were still around fifteen!  
  
Ranma and co used their magic, trying to bring down the fast moving predators, but the Griffons were already used to fighting Patryn and avoided most of their spells.  
  
"Ixar!" Mythril shouted. "I will have to drop you off in the forest to take care of them! Carry on to the first gate!"  
  
Ranma shouted back that he understood and looked at his companions. Everyone was pale but they nodded bravely.  
  
When Mythril made a low swoop, they jumped and landed hard on the ground. They ran into the forest just as the Griffons swooshed past their landing spot.  
  
Ranma spied Mythril from the shelter of the trees. The dragon was gaining altitude, trying to lose his pursuers.  
  
"Mythril will be alright." Ranma said to the others. "We will meet him in the First Gate." He added, pointing towards a huge range of mountains.  
  
"Should we leave him, like that?" Rena asked. "What if he needs our help?"  
  
Ranma was torn. Mythril was their friend, after all. But he shook his head after a moment. "If we stay here were in danger. Mythril will probably try to lose the Griffons rather than fight them all, and he will look for us in the First Gate."  
  
Hugh nodded. "He's right, sis." He said, giving an angry glance at Aghathar as the latter put his arm around her shoulders, but bit back his angry comment. "Mythril is a good warrior, and Dragons of Pryan are much more powerful than Griffons. He'll meet us at the First Gate."  
  
He couldn't help it when his voice cracked a little at the mention of the First Gate. They knew how hard it was for anyone to survive all the way back into the Nexus.  
  
Rue nodded. "Let's go then."  
  
*** End Chapter 5  
  
Next Chapter: The First Gate  
  
R&R Please! Specially if you want more! 


	6. RP06

Ranma the Patryn  
  
Disclaimer: Read the previous chapters. It's there.  
  
Author's rant: Yet another chapter of Ranma the Patryn. I know I should have written faster, but, hey, here it is. :) I suggest you check my profile page in FF.net for an explanation on when to expect the next chapter and also to see what other goodies I have for you.  
  
So far I can tell you that I have completely revised and partially re- written the whole Digital Souls, a fic of which I'm very proud of, and if you like Megaman X or Digimon or both you might like.  
  
Anyway, now let's go with the story.  
  
-WD  
  
Chapter 6 - The First Gate By Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com) -----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
They walked most of the remaining afternoon but had to stop in a cavern overseeing a cliff for the night. They dared not build a fire despite the cold.  
  
They couldn't sleep though. The night was spent in silent guard; ready to fight and kill whatever made it's way to them. Having seen hope in the form of the Nexus, they could only wonder if they would ever see their home again. They were the farthest from there that someone could ever be.  
  
Morning came and there was no sign of Mythril. The group exchanged grim looks as they made their way down the cliff. They could only hope their friend and companion was alive and well.  
  
Reaching the bottom of the cliff brought no comfort to them. A clear river flowed along it, looking harmless with its slow current and seemingly one foot depth.  
  
But a wolf made the mistake of stepping in it, and in seconds was swept away by the freezing cold undercurrent of water.  
  
Ranma's group watched non-pulsed as the wolf drowned in the blink of an eye, its muscles unable to react in the sudden cold.  
  
***  
  
Rue slowly made her way through the bushes. She was flat down on her stomach, inching towards the sounds she had heard earlier. She could see the others only because she knew where they were. To the casual observer, there was no one where the large rocks met the roots of the mountain to her left. But from there, Hugh made a signal that the area was clear.  
  
To her left and up, Ranma was jumping from tree to tree with his impressive agility and dexterity performing feats that no Patryn or Sartan had been able to imitate without magic. Ranma had once told her that the secrets to some of those feats were revealed in the ancient library of the Nexus. Just like the one he had used to win against Ambereye.  
  
She waited until the shadow and whisper that was Aghathar quickly walked past her before inching forward again. She was moving between the trees, while she and Rena had the ground with less cover. Both girls were the best at hiding after all, and if the sounds were that of a small tribe as they feared, the group had a better chance at escape or attack if they moved stealthily and covered as much ground as possible without losing sight of each other.  
  
Finally, they reached a point where they could look down at a pack of Tiger- men. The creatures were camped in the only way into the valley that would take them to the First Gate. It was a natural bottle-neck with jagged and sharp cliffs and natural walls on the sides. It was almost impossible to cross any of the other two options without at least one of them dying in the attempt. Not to mention the griffons, dragons, snakes and other creatures that they would certainly encounter.  
  
As Aghathar had pointed out, it was the only way they could go.  
  
And all that time, Ranma's amulet pulled them in that direction.  
  
Rue turned to look at the others. "Well, what now?"  
  
They all looked at Ranma and noticed that something was wrong. Hugh cast a nervous glance to his sister, who looked back fearfully. Aghathar couldn't believe it. He thought his eyes must be deceiving him. For there was Ranma: crouched against a rock, shaking and pale, clearly scared.  
  
***  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and gulped. He felt cold. He felt hot. He was trembling. He felt Rue's hand as she squatted next to him.  
  
"Ixar?" she asked. "Are... you okay?"  
  
Ranma still had his eyes closed, but he was breathing steadily now. "It's the c-cats." He said finally.  
  
"What about them?" Rena asked. "Sure they are a lot, but we've faced bigger groups before."  
  
Ranma started trembling again, but he soon controlled himself. "Yeah..." He said with a small smile, "Yeah, we have, haven't we?" He took a deep breath. "Just... let me do something. Watch over the creatures."  
  
They nodded, and Ranma walked away. Rue waited a moment before following him.  
  
She found him behind a large boulder. He was using his Patryn magic. She observed as he traced the runes of the spell in the air in front of him. She recognized it as an illusion spell. And he was casting it on himself.  
  
As Ranma waited for the spell to make effect, Rue went back to the others. She was confused as to why he would use such a spell on himself of all people. She sighed. The casting would attract the attention of other Labyrinth creatures. They would have to move faster.  
  
"I will have to ask him later." She mused.  
  
Presently, Ranma came back. He was normal now, and the others sighed in relief. "Sorry about that." He said. "Anyway, how many Tiger-men are there, Hugh?" he asked.  
  
Still a little confused, Alfred's son was quick to answer. "Twenty. No guards as always. But they cover the entrance to the valley pretty well. There's no way around them. We have to fight."  
  
Ranma didn't look happy at that, but there was no other choice really and he knew his spell might have been noticed by hostile creatures. "We'll have to fight." He announced.  
  
He dropped to his knees and opened his backpack, rummaging through it for a moment, before coming out with a scroll. The others gathered around him and looked over his shoulders at the writings on it. Other than a few drawings of people, they were unable to understand anything, and they dared not risk a translation spell.  
  
Ranma analyzed the scroll for a few moments before nodding to himself. "This will do."  
  
He carefully rolled the ancient scroll, tied it with the piece of silk it had been tied originally and put it inside his backpack. He looked at the others. "Listen... this is very risky, but I think I can do it."  
  
Rue was immediately by his side, putting a warning hand on his shoulder. "Ixar, don't take unnecessary risks..." she warned.  
  
Ranma smiled at her. "Don't worry, if this works as it's supposed to, I shouldn't really be in any danger. But I will need you guys to help me."  
  
***  
  
The Tiger-men roared in frenzy as their target ran among them, kicking, killing with his knife and taunting them. Grabbing spears and preparing claws and fangs, they ran after Ranma in a blind rage, not noticing that the campfires were slowly becoming bigger.  
  
***  
  
Outside the camp, Rena and Aghathar worked their stealthy magic while Hugh and Rue prepared heavy-fire spells in case whatever Ranma had planned didn't work.  
  
He had said they would know if it had worked. Rena and Aghathar tensed as Ranma slowly approached the campfires. They flared them all up at the same time as he reached the center of the camp.  
  
Then Ranma stopped. Rue and the others prepared to bolt out to help him, knowing that it was too late, for the Tiger-men had already jumped at him.  
  
Ranma punched the air.  
  
***  
  
Ambereye stared at a distant tornado for a moment. He knew Ranma was there and immediately turned around in mid air and started flying there. Xar-Drax had been right all along. Ranma had undertaken the path to the First Gate, but even the Dragon-snake hadn't foreseen anything like this.  
  
A few minutes later, he arrived at the destroyed camp of a group of Tiger- men. Most of them were dead; sprawled all over the jagged stones of the mountain pass, as if they had been tossed away. The few that had survived were just beginning to stir.  
  
Ambereye walked among the debris, and picked up one of the surviving Tiger- men by the scruff of the neck, pulling him up to his snout.  
  
The Tiger-man gulped and trembled in fear as Ambereye stared at him. "What happened here?" the Blood Dragon asked.  
  
The Tiger-man trembled, but didn't answer. With a roar, Ambereye threw the tiger-man against the rocks, splattering him, and lightning fast grabbed another of the creatures. "What happened here?!" he asked again with a growl.  
  
The tiger-man howled in fear, but just as Ambereye was about to smash him to the ground and try with another, he had enough sense to shout something coherent. "Patryn!"  
  
Ambereye stopped himself and drew the creature to eye-level again. "What about a Patryn? How many?"  
  
The creature still trembled, but, thinking it might survive by telling the dragon what he wanted to know, was able to answer.  
  
"One! It was one! He ran in, killing and fighting. We thought we had him, but... the fires flared and he used his magic to blast us all away!" the creature explained in the growls and hisses that were the Tiger-men's natural language. "Amazing power!" it babbled as Ambereye considered his words and looked around.  
  
"Idiot!" Ambereye shouted at the babbling Tiger-man. "There is very little Patryn and Sartan magic here! I want the truth!" the dragon roared, scattering the remaining Tiger-men away in a desperate attempt at fleeing, which Ambereye stopped with his fire.  
  
Fire stopped spewing from his mouth and nostrils, and as the burnt carcasses of the other Tiger-men fell to the ground, the one he held started blabbering, insane with fear. "It's the truth! The truth! Fire flaring!"  
  
Ambereye threw the pitiful creature away, not even noticing when it slammed against a rock and broke most of its bones.  
  
The last thing the Tiger-man saw before his vision darkened was the Blood Dragon jumping into the air to fly away, but by then his mind didn't comprehend what it was seeing.  
  
"Ranma..." Ambereye growled to himself as his respect for the Patryn/Sartan grew up a notch.  
  
***  
  
They had not talked at all ever since Ranma had destroyed the town with his new power. Rue, Rena, Aghathar and Hugh had stared at the tornado as wind whipped in front of them. There had been no magic. No casting of even the simplest mench-spell. It had just happened, and as wind destroyed everything in its reach, Ranma had stood silently in the middle, unmoving and with his fist up in the air until the tornado had stopped and they had ran towards him.  
  
They had carried on, silently lost in their own thoughts, following Ranma until they arrived at the base of a mountain.  
  
Ranma's amulet pointed straight at it: to a cave on one of its sides.  
  
"Father told me once, that when he, mom, Hugh and Alfred returned here through the First Gate, the mountain had shaken after they came out of it and huge rocks had covered the entrance to it." Rue said, remembering her father's stories and breaking the long silence.  
  
Ranma and the others nodded. They too, had heard the story from both Haplo and Alfred.  
  
"And yet," Aghathar said, "the entrance is now clear of debris."  
  
Hugh stepped closer to it and peered inside. "I can see a light inside." He reported, looking at them over his shoulder.  
  
Ranma tensed. "We have to hurry!" he said urgently. "Ambereye is coming here!"  
  
"What?!" Rena asked, scared.  
  
"Let's go in!" Aghathar urged them.  
  
The others nodded and ran inside the cavern, just as Ambereye started a spiraling descent to land next to the entrance. He growled. It was too small for him.  
  
He noticed a figure walk into view around a huge boulder. "Xar-Drax." The Blood Dragon growled the name with distaste. "I see your preparations did bear fruit."  
  
If the Dragon-snake had noticed the tone, it didn't seem offended. "Yes. Our time draws near. Have you alerted your brothers and sisters?"  
  
Ambereye merely nodded, and Xar-Drax smiled. "Yes, I too have done so to my own brethren and other allies. Let us follow our way out."  
  
The Blood Dragon became darker until he was nothing more than a black dragon-shaped mass that started shrinking, until it became human-shaped.  
  
Xar-Drax regarded the black-dressed man with the dark-red hair and eyes with yellow irises with undisguised amusement. "You don't have to look so disgusted." He commented.  
  
Ambereye just growled and walked into the cavern.  
  
***  
  
The natural cavern slowly turned into a metal-covered hall. Ranma and the others carried on through, looking around warily. Finally they reached the end of the hall and stood staring at a metallic circle, which according to the descriptions of their parents could be nothing else but...  
  
"The First Gate." Hugh said. "Finally..."  
  
Ranma took a step forth, following the pull of the Amulet, until he was almost touching the cold surface of the Gate.  
  
"Well, here goes nothing." He said more for his benefit than for the others. He pulled the Amulet from around his neck and touched the First Gate with it.  
  
A distant crack of thunder was heard and the ground started shaking. The First Gate Shuddered, and then a slim strand of light appeared in the middle, slowly growing bigger; like an eye being opened.  
  
Wind whirled all around them as the First Gate opened up completely. Energy crackled as the door that shouldn't, couldn't, be opened from that side of the lock was forced by a strength greater than that of the Sartan that had designed it; a force greater than what Urd had put into the Amulet. For when Ranma, who now was not exactly Patryn, Sartan or Human touched it, the force behind it opening was Destiny.  
  
The last thing Rue saw before losing consciousness was that everything seemed to turn around and collapse on itself and she and the others were suddenly falling out of a clear sky and into a pool of cold water.  
  
*** End Chapter 6  
  
Next Chapter: Destiny  
  
AN: Well, here starts the next step in the story of Ranma the Patryn. Can you guess where exactly the portal opened? :) I already have some plans, but I'd like to know your opinion and what Aghathar and Hugh might turn into, IF the pools are what you might think it is.  
  
Later! 


End file.
